TR2/3/3A TR3 metal cooling pipe.

[mallard]

Today I found the metal cooling pipe that comes out of the water pump housing has body color paint on it. If you scratch it off it's painted black. Did the 1956 TR3's have that pipe painted body color?

 

[Tr3aguy]

Upper/Lower Hoses and Connecting Pipe. An early configuration was used until TS414E (ref: SPCEd4, pg. 21).
This utilized straight hoses and a bent pipe. The configuration employed for the remainder of production uses
formed, angled hoses with a slightly bent pipe. Hoses are black. Pipes should be painted black. Wire-type clips are
used on hoses.

Pulled from the concourse judging guide.....

 

[Geo Hahn]

But I think Keith means this one:

I've always thought they should be black... can't see any way the factory would have made them body color.

 

[vivdownunder]

I can only recall seeing the heater pipe painted black.

That said, the heater was an optional extra and a retro fitting kit was available whereby the pipe could have ended up any color of choice.

Viv.

 

[mallard]

Thanks for the info guys. This pipe has been black, blue, and then tan. Maybe the PO had painted the engine body color as some do. The last color the car was painted was tan. The blue color on the pipe does look like the original Winchester Blue.